CSU researcher seeks powerful lessons from Nepal

Friday 17 Mar 2017

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher investigating
power generation in remote villages in Nepal may provide lessons for small remote communities in Australia.

"My project aims to identify the factors that lead to
sustainable micro-power systems in Nepal, particularly small hydro-electric
schemes set up using government subsidies over the past 15 years," said Mr
Bharat Poudel, a PhD student in Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Studies at CSU
in Bathurst.

"Some systems have proven very good, but many have failed
over this time, and I believe we can learn from these stories.

"I want to learn what conditions – social, technical,
financial and institutional – help make these power projects successful."

Trained originally as an engineer, Mr Poudel has worked for
the Nepalese government in off-grid renewable energy and led the
national off-grid electrification program.

"More than 3 000 micro-hydroelectric power projects have been
installed and thousands of others are planned. About US$100 million has been
invested in micro-hydro electrification, about half paid for by users.

"We need to identify the successful projects, find out how and why
this happened, what makes them sustainable, and replicate these to benefit our people."

According to Mr Poudel, the Nepalese government has also
encouraged communities to buy bulk electricity from wholesale producers and
manage local supplies as part of a local business.

This scheme is also being analysed as part of his PhD
research, which is supervised by CSU Professor Kevin Parton.

"Mr Poudel's research has important implications for
electricity supply to remote communities in Nepal and Australia," said Professor
Parton, who is also a senior researcher with the University's Institute for Land,
Water and Society.

"Although they may be worlds apart in economic development,
people living in remote areas of Nepal and Australia endure similar difficulties
in expensive and unreliable power supply due to their isolation and long
distances from suppliers.

"Throw in a violent storm, a major avalanche or a huge
bushfire and you have the impetus for people in isolated towns and villages to desire
their own power supplies that are independent of extensive networks of 'poles
and wires' and that meet their needs."

Mr Poudel is keen to spread the word of his findings.

"Over 1 billion people in Africa and Asia still live in the
dark at night. It is unlikely that the electricity grid will spread to these
people in the near future," he said.

"Therefore, renewable off-grid power projects
offer these communities real hope in establishing and managing local,
sustainable power for local economic and social development."